Welcome to Nightly.Net
Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Javascript Disabled Detected

You currently have javascript disabled. Several functions may not work. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality.

Fade In: The Writing of Star Trek: Insurrection -- by Michael Pillar

The Shadow

Posted 23 September 2010 - 02:38 PM

The Shadow

Resident Kaijuologist

Members

11,282 posts

Just read about this over at AICN (yeah I know, but sometimes they have a lead on interesting news) -- Fade In: The Writing of Star Trek: Insurrection was written by Trek screenwriter Michael Piller -- Piller worked as a writer on TNG and creative consultant on DS9 & VOY as well as helping create/develop DS9 and VOY. The book, which Paramount originally blocked from publication is now available online for free thanks to Star Trek fan site Trek Core. Trek Core focuses on all sorts of Star Trek, and related, multimedia across all of the Star Trek properties.

According to the folk at AICN, bits and pieces of the Fade In have appeared online over the years but this is the first time the whole book has become available.

For those who don't recall Piller's name, he was a writer/producer on many shows - WIDLFIRE, THE DEAD ZONE series, STAR TREKs DEEP SPACE NINE and VOYAGER, and the writer/co-producer of INSURRECTION. As such, he was in a position to offer considerable fascinating and illustrative insight into how STAR TREK movies were grown in the Berman era, and how and why certain things went both right...and awry...on the production of INSURRECTION in particular.

We have a very special treat for Star Trek fans today - an unpublished book honestly detailing the writing process for Star Trek Insurrection. The book was written by the movie's writer, Michael Piller, who passed away back in 2005. It includes story drafts, internal memos, letters from actors, etc. It's an incredibly insightful read into the process, even if it is unfinished. This link takes you to a Word File.

Here's TrekCore's link -- like the quote from them, it connects directly to a Work (.doc) file -- so yo'll want to right click and use "save as" .

Wally Q

Posted 26 September 2010 - 04:28 PM

Tank

Posted 26 September 2010 - 05:12 PM

Tank

retired

Members

33,029 posts

Same here.

It was basically a step by step account of writing Star Trek Insurrection from the moment he was hired by Rick Berman to the movie's premiere, including early treatments, rough drafts and copies of the various notes from the studio/cast/producer's etc.

If you want insight into a bunch of Trekery, it's not that interesting. if you want to see just how hard it is to get a script written in the Hollywood system, it's a great read.

R.CAllen

Posted 28 September 2010 - 12:00 PM

Ten years ago (or more) I listened in on a Q & A session Michael Piller did at a local Toronto convention during the time before John de Lancie came on stage. He seemed cool.

If Tank or Wally or Ryn would send the book to me that'd be nice. For me.

Slightly off topic : I once had a free-to-read PDF book by an older comedy writer (he wrote for Wayne & Shuster and from there got onto Johnny Carson including a sketch where Johnny sings the entire history of the human race in the time it takes for a pair of waffles to get done in a toaster) but I lost it ------ and, after a lot of Googling, I found it again. It's called Valuable Lessons : How I Made (And Lost) Over Seven Million Dollars Writing For Over A Hundred Shows You Never Heard Of and is here. I remember it being great (there are horror stories in there of selling a joke for, like, five bucks and then seeing it for the rest of his life on bumper stickers and t-shirts and of not being allowed to write the nerdy smart kid on a children's TV show as knowing anything that the typical child wouldn't already know or of being asked to pitch animated projects based on soap flake mascots) and a candid and well explained guide to what it's been like to work in Hollywood. So, y'know, you could read that if you want guys.